In stark contrast to the many nerdy hobbies (don't even ask) that I pursued at different stages of my life, one unwavering passion was participating in sports.  I always loved competition, even in sports where I was not especially talented.  As a kid I tried everything from 8th grade basketball to American Legion Baseball, and I enjoyed all intramural sports in college and graduate school (with a special affection for inner-tube water polo).  I was an avid softball and racquetball player well into my 40s, and I ran 5K and 10K races until I was in my mid-50s. I was also a pretty good table tennis player.

At various times I coached junior high school & youth soccer as well as girls' softball, and I once even pitched to a busload of tourists on the Field of Dreams baseball field in Iowa.

But wrestling is the sport that I loved the most. Not only was I a high school and college wrestler; I also coached college wrestling as a head coach or as an assistant coach for about thirty years.

Sadly, I have gotten too old to do these things anymore. I can still hike and fish and drink wine, so life is OK.  Fortunately, I have not yet been diminished to the point of having to play golf. ​This web page serves as my electronic scrapbook for curating favorite wrestling memories and for reflecting on the important role that wrestling played in my life.